News

Jay Paterno running for lieutenant governor

(Harrisburg) -- Jay Paterno, son of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, says he's seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania.

Paterno told The Associated Press on Thursday that he's beginning to circulate petitions to get on the May 20 primary ballot.

Party officials had expected Paterno might run for Congress, but Paterno says he believes he can serve Pennsylvanians better by staying in the state.

The six-person field of Democratic lieutenant governor candidates is big, but no candidate has Paterno's name recognition.

The field includes Harrisburg's Brad Koplinski and Brenda Alton.

Candidates for lieutenant governor and governor run separately in the primary, but party nominees run together in the general election.

The elder Paterno died in January 2012, two months after being fired by university trustees as the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal exploded.

1:30 p.m.

(Harrisburg) -- Jay Paterno, the son of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, is telling Democratic officials that he'll seek the party's nomination for lieutenant governor.

Two state Democratic Party officials, Roger Lund of the south-central party caucus and Gerald Lawrence of the southeast party caucus, say Paterno called them Thursday and told them that he's circulating petitions to get on the May 20 primary ballot.

Party officials had expected Paterno might run for Congress, but Lund says Paterno told him that he believed he could serve Pennsylvania better by staying in the state.

The field of Democratic lieutenant governor candidates is big, but no candidate has Paterno's name recognition.

The field includes Harrisburg's Brad Koplinski and Brenda Alton.

Lieutenant governor candidates run separate from gubernatorial candidates in the primary and together in the general election.